Pirates Adventure Dinner Theatre - Calif.

[Kiery McCannan]

PIRATE ADVENTURE DINNER - Opening Night Show - Buena Park, California

A gypsy and a princess of a kingdom are captured and held for ransom aboard an evil pirate captain's ship. This captain has a nemesis that appears throughout the show. There are six main pirates. They have different stunt battles during the evening to win the reward of 1st mate.

The Pirate Captain has an equally nasty (but well voiced) wife. There is a dancing prancing pirate who is the emcee of the evening. And the apparent comedy relief.

The show uses a good deal of audience interaction and participation...with adults and kids.

Towards the end of the show one of the pirates falls in love with the princess - along with two other "noble" pirates leads a mutiny against the evil captain. The good guy wins the Princess and they sail off into happiness forever.

Concept - GOOD!

Reality - BAD.

Shrimp and Lobster - there was a small shred of a lobster tail in the minimal amount of shrimp. A side of chicken. Not a big side. A small pile of rice and a small pile of veggies. None of our group tried the beef and chicken dinner. Not sure how that was. The Apple cobbler in chocolate sauce with vanilla ice cream was okay.

Seating was to be desired. Apparently there were better seats at $ 10.00 more a pop - which I should have been told about when I made the reservations...the first day the tickets went on sale. (Mind you, I spent $ 99.00 for the evening - without tip...for two people....)

The show idea is a good concept. If you are in the upper rows, ya got spotlights right in yer eyes during all the major aerial stunts.

If you happen to be in the back sections, you get a great view of the back of the boat.

The two front sections - Purple and Red (I think) are the best to sit in and see from. Orange, Green, Blue, Yellow -are limited. Orange and another one are okay, sorta, Blue and - Green? (maybe) are the back corners and highly limited.

Okay. The instructions told us to get there about 90 minutes before the show for check-in, buffet, and, pre-show. We got there about 85 minutes before the show, and, totally missed everything that was pre-show oriented. No story opening, no buffet table, nada. The ticketing mess was horrid. To make up for this, we were given two color coated logo hurricane glasses of our choice of colors...took blue and green. Would have been given a free drink, too, but, no alcohol, thanks.

If you want to take in this type of a show, go to Medieval Times. Better show, better food.

If you saw the show that went before this, WILD BILL'S...it was a far superior show, far superior food.

The two shows just listed knew/know how to stagger the meal with the performance. The Pirates Show did not. Food just rolled while everything took place...so, if you are concentrating on eating, then, you may miss something important on the stage, er, deck of the boat. Whatever.

This show is hyped as being one of Orlando's top attractions. For me, it is a one-off and I don't think I'll be going back.

Pity, that.

As I said, the concept is good. The story line has developable ideas. Just that nothing gelled. (And, this is the Florida cast out here for the opening...they are hiring and training the California Cast over the next month.) Oh, well. I had high hopes...given what went before (WILD BILL'S) and that the same parent company developed and operated both.

The other thing is that this show was placed into the pre-existing theatre building developed for Wild Bill's...and it is really hard to hide a Western Americana themed building...no matter how many nets filled with barrels and nautical things you hang around the place.

"SIGH"

Hopefully the West Coast cast - as they develop themselves, will make this a tad more their own....

Actually, the idea of an interactive Pirate Dinner Theatre style show has a great deal of merit and deserves to be pursued...this experience could be so much more....

[Rumba Rue]

Thanks for the info. I won a gift certificate to the place (at a party back in Sept.) and probably won't go until well into next year.

I had heard they frowned on customers wearing costumes, but it's my understanding they will let you in with costumes and with weapons so long as they are piece-tied.

I really wasn't expecting the food to be anything good. So no surprises there, but thanks for the warning and the knowledge about seating.

[Capt Grey]

How disappointing for you. Especially after spending so much money for it.

It's unfortunate that someone can make a total mockery of a really good idea. Hopefully they will get their act together. I used to hear the same thing about Midieval Times when they first started (not as good as the Vegas one, etc), but they seem to have overcome their drawbacks.

[Cascabel]

A few years back, I had a gig in Orlando, and the management of the dinner theater invited all of us for a free dinner and show, as long as we showed up in costume and sang a few songs during the pre-show.

They treated us very well, and gave us the best seats in the house. The show was a bit "hokey" for sure, but fun in a Vegas sort of way, but was not intended to be otherwise. The public seemed to enjoy it, and that is what it is really all about. I didn't expect it to be authentic at all. If you go, just enjoy it for what it is...., a light-hearted pirate themed dinner show.

>>>>> Cascabel

[Bosun Carmina]

Captain Blackheart on Keep To The Code had this to say about the Pirate's Dinner Theater:

I went to opening night of the show (public opening night) 12/27 with a sizeable group of people. I have to greatly disagree with the above review, regarding Wild Bill's. This show was remarkably better than that awful thing! Wild Bills had horrid food and the show was just downright boring. Now, the food at the Pirate show came in extremely small portions and I thought it was WAY too salty, but still better than Wild Bill's (I had chicken and chicken, by the way, since I don't like beef or shrimp). I sat in the next to top row of the red section, on the port beam of the ship. A good view. The lights in your eyes happen with every section, whenever they invite a lot of audience participation and light up the sections. Each section roots for the pirate of matching color, hence we rooted for the red pirate, Jack. I do think they could use a better sound system, so all the dialogue and songs are more fully understandable. The show was fun... not brilliant, but fun and about what you'd expect for this kind of thing. There was a lot of audience interaction, including a good use of kids in a number of spots.

All in all, it's a fun night out. Not something you should fly into Southern California just to see, but if you're visiting Disneyland and/or Knott's (it's just up the street from Knott's), it's a good evening's entertainment, particularly if you buy tickets in advance on their website, where, last time I checked, they were much cheaper than at the door.

If you like pirates (and we all do here, don't we?), it's worth seeing the show!

[Rumba Rue]

I know of a few others who got to go to the 'sneak preview' and their views were mixed. Some liked it, others didn't.

I think it's best to leave it up to the individual on what they think.

I'm just happy to have won a gift certificate to the place, and when I go, I will be taking a bunch of my friends with me (in costume of course) to have a good time.

[Skull pyrate Carter]

I have worked long enough in restaraunts to know one thing. THe openings always suck. It takes a bit of time and practice for the people to find their groove and get the hang of things.... I bet in a lil' while the place will be cool.

[JoshuaRed]

I've been to the Orlando Pirates Adventure twice since moving here, and for entertaining out-of-town family, it's great fun. Actually my favorite part was the pre-show appetizer/bar hour, it's in a massive room set up like a pirate-esque shanty town, with some great gift shops that are stuffed with all the usual pirate items out there, and they have some nice ravioli appetizers. There is also a nice pirate musuem with some good exhibits to browse thru.

Sure, the "pirates" in the cast look more like Gypsy Wrestlers, but it's fun for the kids.

My big complaint is that they bill "unlimited" beer and wine, but it's a LOT of work to get them to refill yer mug more than a couple times.

The later evening show is longer, and contains more violent fighting and stunts, as well as a post-show disco party with live piratess singers, and you can mingle with the cast.

I've been to a few dinner theaters, and while by no means an expert, the Orlando pirates is the best so far. Though I hear good things about Arabian Nights.

[Patrick Hand]

"unlimited" beer and wine, but it's a LOT of work to get them to refill yer mug more than a couple times.

Maybe it was because we had good seats...... or that I was in the proper spirit of the thing...... (and I wasn't even in garb...) but I had no problem getting re-fills.....

[JoshuaRed]

Now the funniest thing at the show has got to be when the "comic relief" pirate takes the jolly boat around the ship, using an electric outboard instead of oars!

[Pirate Petee]

Its Open? Hey all O me So CAl Maties, we be needin ta plan a meetin o sorts, agatherin at this here establishment. Unlimited beer, Oh man, I be puttin that one to tha test.

[Diego Santana de la Vega]

the Pirates of Treasure Cove need ta schedule a meeting on many subjects on the chat right here in the pub this too be one of the topics!

[Killian]

Some omembers of the crew of the Stranglehold are planning on traveling to see this on Saturday May 6th, if we can get a group of 15 or more we can get a group discount the normal price for this is $48.95 per person for anyone over

12 and $31.95 for kids 3 - 11. I am not sure what the group price will be but we are looking to see if any of our Southern California friends would like to join us, if you would like to please send me a PM so we can get a proper count.

[Bloody Bill Flint]

Okay mateys here be my take on it. I just got back from my second deployment to Iraq(and my third in the war on terror), so my wife and decided to finally have our honeymoon while I was on leave. We went to the one in Buena Park, CA. That place kicks ass. The show was good, a little too Pirates of Penzance for moi. What really makes the place is the atmosphere. The bar drinks are reasonably priced, large, and most of them are made with rum. The pirate swag for sell is some of the coolest I've seen outside of a ren-faire or Disneylands POTC gift shop. Costumers are welcome, nay encouraged. Audience participation is a big part of the show, my wife has video taped proof of my antics. The food is so-so with the chicken being the best part, and the beef being better than the shrimp and lobster. My wife had no problem getting refills on her wine, I stuck with water as I was availing myself of the cash bar service(who drinks beer when they've got rum!?) and didn't want to be completely hammered on the walk back to the hotel(it was a long walk). They also served seconds on the chicken. The dessert was great. All in all I highly recommend the Pirates Dinner Adventure. It beats Medieval Times hands down, except in the areas of beer and souveneir drink glasses. PDA only had two beers on tap and one type of souveneir glass. Oh and before I forget PDA serves appetizers prior to the show. I highly recommend PDA.

[Rumba Rue]

I'm slowly getting my arse in gear to go there. I have the gift certificate I won, so I don't have to pay to get in, but everybody else that has indicated they want to go with me when I go will certianly have to.

Last check, I had 15 people who said they wanted to go with me! WoW!

Have I got friends! Maybe by the time I actually go, I'll have enough to fill the the place! Now that would be a hell of a discount!

[Lady Seahawke]

ok, can someone PLEASSSSSEEEE, PRETTY PLEASSSSE...give me an address or phone number for the theatre? :)

[Bloody Bill Flint]

Be ye wishin' ta attend the one in Florida, or the one in California?

[Bloody Bill Flint]

Here be the address and phone# for Buena Park, CA:

California's

Pirates Dinner Adventure

7600 Beach Blvd.

Buena Park, CA 90620

Phone: 714.690.1497

Fax: 714.690.1498

Toll Free: 866.439.2469

[Lady Seahawke]

WOOHOO, thanks Bloody Flint the Cali one is the one I wanted.

I'll have a keg of rum delivered to your ship.

[oderlesseye]

The Medevil show was cool, and held our attention.

I hope the Pyrate show at wild bills will do the same.

I thinks maybe we'll wait for them to get a little more

seasoned before I give up that amount of booty fer it..

[Bloody Bill Flint]

I can nay speak fer Floridy, but the one in Buena Park be well worth the dubloons they be askin' fer.

[Bloody Bill Flint]

WOOHOO, thanks Bloody Flint the Cali one is the one I wanted.

I'll have a keg of rum delivered to your ship.

Ye be quite welcome milady. However know ye that I'd gladly done it fer free. But seeing as ye've sent the rum our way already we'll just be holdin on to that.

[Christine]

Hey, I think I know who makes the costumes for this. Over the weekend me and my guyfriend picked up Batman tights and Barnabas cloaks from his seamstress Kathy. She mentioned working on a Captain's brocade coat for a pirate show and restuarant in Buena Park. I figured it had to be for this. Kathy is a really good seamstress. Makes a lot of cool costumes!

[Pirate Petee]

Unfortunatly those guys don't have cool costumes. When we went they were envious.

[Christine]

Hmmmm....then maybe it's not the same place. The coat she showed me looked VERY cool! She mentioned Buena Park tho.....hmmmm.....